Over the last few years, writer/director Yûgo Sakamoto’s (A Janitor) created a very specific cinematic world in which low-stakes slacker comedy meets high-stakes wet work via his Baby Assassins series. Returning for a third outing in Baby Assassins Nice Days, having its Canadian premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival 2024, Akari Takaishi (Chisato) and Saori Izawa (Mahiro) shift gears from the usual bubblegum killers we’re used to into a more dramatic arena as Sakamoto brings them up against an enemy unlike anything they’ve faced so far. Thanks to the choreography from returning series action director Kensuke Sonomura (HYDRA/Bad City), this new entry in the trilogy of films ups the ante in ways that’ll actually have audiences worried for the fates of their favorite slackers, simultaneously breaking the audience and the characters out of the safety they’re used to.
L-R: Saori Izawa as Mahiro and Akari Takaishi as Chisato in BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS. Photo courtesy of RIGHTS CUBE INC. 🄫2024 “BABY ASSASINS NICE DAYS” Film Partners.
Months after Chisato and Mahiro prevented wannabe Assassin Guild members Makoto (Tatsuomi Hamada) and Yuri (Joey Iwanaga) from taking their spots, the two find themselves out of Toyko in Miyazaki, enjoying the water, the sun, and the amazing food. Of course, not all is beef dishes and chasing jellyfish as the duo are on assignment to take out several targets, though that doesn’t bring down their fun as things thus far have gone smoothly. That is, until they run into a highly skilled freelancer, Kaede Fuyumura (Sôsuke Ikematsu), who’s a few steps ahead of them on their target and streets ahead on each of their attempts to slow him down. In order to make things right with the Guild and the client, Chisato and Mahiro are paired with two Miyazaki locals and ordered to take out Kaede and fulfil their contract, or else.
Sôsuke Ikematsu as Kaede Fuyumura in BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS. Photo courtesy of RIGHTS CUBE INC. 🄫2024 “BABY ASSASINS NICE DAYS” Film Partners.
Seeing as this series is two stories deep before the start of Nice Days, if you’re unfamiliar with Baby Assassins, head here for spoiler-free and spoiler-filled reviews to orient yourself before going forward.
Change is the name of the game in Nice Days. Chisato and Mahiro are not in their usual environment, they are once more on the precipice of being on the outs with the Guild, and they’re up against a formidable enemy. For those who’ve found some comfort in the silly-until-it-needs-to-get-serious series, Sakamoto opts for a shift which serves to ensure that neither the audience nor the characters get complacent. There’s a risk of continuously doing the same thing from film to film and where 2 Babies (2023) includes elements of the original narrative, it stands on its own thanks to the inclusion of the wannabes and the removal of Guild support the girls must contend with due to being set up. Nice Days is even more of a departure with fewer elements of the slacker portions that make the characters of Chisato and Mahiro charming and more interest in action. This does mean that the few slacker tropes (totally inability to take things seriously until their lives are on the line) included land just as well given the increased stakes, and it creates an opportunity to see more of the pair at work, including one undercover sequence that’s hilarious due to performances from Takaishi and Izawa, even as the costumes and makeup dazzle. By treating the two almost as fish out of water, Sakamoto is able to generate multiple sequences in which the pair are easily at a disadvantage, making their potential of overcoming of these situations all the more satisfying.
L-R: Saori Izawa as Mahiro and Akari Takaishi as Chisato in BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS. Photo courtesy of RIGHTS CUBE INC. 🄫2024 “BABY ASSASINS NICE DAYS” Film Partners.
Another great element of moving the narrative out of Tokyo is that Sakamoto is more easily able to introduce elements that are equally fresh for the audience and the characters. From 2 Babies, we know that there are freelancers and freelancer agents, but the level that they work at has only been demonstrated by Yuri and Makoto, two characters who would’ve been fun to keep in this world under different circumstances, who are about as good as the duo, but not good enough. In Miyazaki, the space is an absolute unknown, giving Sakamoto the freedom to expand the mythology of the killer underbelly without as much restriction given the hierarchies presented via the first two films. So not only does the audience receive reasonable exposition via the new characters, the reasoning is baked into the location itself, requiring the audience to become privy to everything the two know and when they find it out. Of course, this wouldn’t be a Baby Assassins film if there wasn’t some kind of interpersonal turmoil, but unlike the first film which saw the two trying to figure out if their personalities worked well enough to be partners and roommates and 2 Babies had them “grappling” with Chisato’s lying due to her gambling problem, Nice Days gives both character their own respective concerns to wrestle with through the course of the film: for Chisato, delivering the kind of birthday Mahiro deserves; for Mahiro, whether she can protect her friend. These differing motivations keep the pair on their toes toward each other without placing them, once more, in opposition to each other.
Atsuko Maeda as Iruka Minami in BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS. Photo courtesy of RIGHTS CUBE INC. 🄫2024 “BABY ASSASINS NICE DAYS” Film Partners.
As a fan of the series, much of the fun comes from the ways in which Takaishi and Izawa bring their characters to life. They keep the central characters grounded as the young adults that they are (not really the babies the title described (at least in age)) and give them an unpredictability as they switch from giggling silliness to militaristic takedowns. Once more, Takaishi and Izawa bring the goods, effortlessly conveying the skillset that we’ve come to understand them to have, no matter the situation or available weaponry. Credit where it’s due, much of this comes down to Sonomura’s action choreography which understands the narrative importance of combat. It’s not just about dispatching an opponent, but what it says about the person pulling the trigger, throwing a punch, or slicing with a blade. How are they moving? What’s their fighting style? Do they understand their physical space? Can they adjust mid-fight or do they stick to a tried-and-true? Each of these films features highlight moments for both lead actors, but it’s Izawa who gets the lion’s share as Mahiro takes lead on taking out Kaede given Mahiro’s marital arts prowess. This leads to a great deal of showreel moments for both the actor and choreographer as we’re reminded why Mahiro is not one to be messed with, especially where her friends are concerned. Impressively, nearly each set piece in Nice Days is worth re-watching just to figure out how they pulled it off.
Mondo Otani as Riku Nanase in BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS. Photo courtesy of RIGHTS CUBE INC. 🄫2024 “BABY ASSASINS NICE DAYS” Film Partners.
Unlike the last two films, however, there’s a strange bit of editing throughout the film that results in strange jumps in narrative continuity. At first, this can be attributed to the switch in momentum from the cold open to catching up with Chisato and Mahiro and introducing the new location. That makes sense, but when that editing continues as we track what the two are doing in Miyazaki, the energy is thrown off. Much later, there’s an instance where we see the two new members of the Baby Assassins crew fighting together only for one of them to be shown off by themselves and wounded. It allows for a great character moment as they must deal with incoming opposition, but how they ended up solo is left a mystery and makes little sense under any kind of proper thought. That may sound strange given the basic vibe of these films is the intersection of comedy and action, but the editing and narrative are always in sync to maintain a clear trajectory throughout. Bits like this, and even within the fight sequences themselves, break up the natural rhythm of the world and pull the audience out of the illusion.
L-R: Saori Izawa as Mahiro and Akari Takaishi as Chisato in BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS. Photo courtesy of RIGHTS CUBE INC. 🄫2024 “BABY ASSASINS NICE DAYS” Film Partners.
In wrapping up this review, what follows is a minor spoiler, but is important for fans of Sakamoto’s cinematic world to know: the cast and crew are currently hard at work on a television series subtitled Everyday. Does this impact the tension within Nice Days? You’d think so, but it doesn’t. From the teaser poster and trailer to the introduction of Kaede and his first meeting with the duo, Nice Days is an oxymoronic title — death hangs in the air and there’s danger everywhere. For the first time in the series, there’s an actual threat (something which anyone who’s seen Shin Kamen Rider (2023) expected Ikematsu to be) and the film makes sure to highlight just how overmatched Chisato and Mahiro are. If this were to be the final film in the cinematic series, even with the shift in tone and strange technical approaches, Nice Days would be a fitting end that showcases why you should never underestimate these Baby Assassins.
Screening during Fantasia International Film Festival 2024.
Available on Blu-ray and digital August 26th, 2025.
For more information, head to either the official Baby Assassins Nice Days Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 webpage or theatrical release website.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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